Well head protector

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a cage like structure designed to protect a well head. It is anticipated that the cage will be made of steel or other rigid materials. The structure separates in the center, parting on a rail system in order to allow a user to service the protected well head inside the structure. The structure has a roof section that can come off in order to allow for proper height during road or rail transport of the structure, or the structure and a well head. It is anticipated that the structure will be designed incorporating a sloping shape in order to help deflect falling objects from the structure and protected well head.

This application is based upon and claims priority from U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 61/978,002, which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Applicants' invention relates to a device for protecting a well head. More particularly, it relates to a cage that can be pulled apart to access a well head and pushed together to protect the wellhead.

2. Background Information

Wellheads are the connection point for the tubulars and the surface flow lines as well as being the surface pressure control point in almost any well operation. Most land wellheads are above ground in order to allow for access to the wellhead for maintenance and work. Wellheads that are exposed in this manner are subject to damage through both accident and intentional acts. For example, a casing may be cut back and buried during landscaping, or falling debris may strike and damage the wellhead.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a cage like structure designed to protect a well head. It is anticipated that the cage will be made of steel or other rigid materials. The structure separates in the center, parting on a rail system in order to allow a user to service the protected well head inside the structure.

The structure has a roof section that can come off in order to allow for proper height during road or rail transport of the structure, or the structure and a well head.

It is anticipated that the structure will be designed incorporating a sloping shape in order to help deflect falling objects from the structure and protected well head.

Because the structure can be used on a rail system, it offers a portable solution for temperate protection of a well head while drilling other wells on the same drill pad.

The structure may also incorporate one, two, or more doors allowing for entrance by a user to the interior of the structure. It is anticipated that these doors will be lockable in order to help prevent theft of data available on the well head gauges, as well as damage to the well head due to vandalism.

It is also anticipated that the rail system may separate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cage of the present invention

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one module of the cage of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the cage of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of one module of the cage of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the rail system of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

10 Cage 12 First module 14 Second module 16 Roof 18 Corner upright 20 front base member 22 Side runner 24 Rafter 26 Horizontal frame member 28 Vertical frame member 30 Side upright 32 Brace 34 Top 36 Front top member 38 Side top member 40 Front frame 42 Side frame 44 Rail slot 46 Roller 48 Track 50 Runner 52 Cross member 54 Track stop

Referring to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates the wellhead protective cage 10. In general, the cage 10 is anticipated to be made from a frame of tubular steel. The tubular steel may be circular, rectangular, or ovoid. The cage 10 is comprised of two modules, a first module 12 and a second module 14. The modules are anticipated to be generally mirror images of one another.

The frame of the cage 10 is made of two corner uprights 18. The front portion of the frame is comprised of the uprights 18. Connecting the bottom ends of the uprights 18 is the front face member 20. The first end of the front base member 20 is connected to the bottom end of one corner uprights 18 and the second end of the front base member 20 is connected to the bottom end of the second corner upright 18. The top ends of the uprights 18 are connected by the front top member 36. The first end of the front top member 36 is connected to the top end of one corner upright 18 and the second end of the front top member 36 is connected to the top end of the second corner upright 18. Generally, it is anticipated that the front top member 36 will be shorter than the front base member 20. This generally creates a parallelogram of the corner uprights 18, the front base member 20, and the front top member 36.

In order to give the front of the first module 12 additional strength and to keep unwanted persons and animals away from the wellhead (not shown) a frame of horizontal frame members 26 and vertical frame members 28 are connected so as to create a general grid of the frame.

On either side of the corner uprights 18, the frame is continued at generally a right angle to the front of the frame. The side frames are generally made in the same manner as the front frame. The bottom of the side frames has a side runner 22 in the top has a side top member 38. The sides of the side frames are bordered by the corner upright 18 and a side upright 30. There are two side frames on both sides of the front frame.

It is generally anticipated that the side frames will be approximately half the width of the front frame. It is also anticipated that the side top member 38 will be shorter than the side runner 22 when the side frames are connected with the front frame, the cage 10 is generally pyramidal shaped. A brace 32 may be connected to the side upright 30.

Connected to the front top member 36 and the side top members 38 is a roof 16. The roof 16 is supported by a multiplicity of rafters 24. The rafters 24 are connected to either the front top member 36 or the side top member's 38 and extend to the top of the roof 34. It is anticipated that the top 34 will be flattened rather than pointed in order to better move underneath objects. However the remainder of the roof 16 is anticipated to be sloped from the top 34 to the upper portions of the front frame and side frames.

FIG. 2 illustrates a first module 12 of the cage 10. As stated previously, it is anticipated that the first module 12 in the second module 14 will be generally minor images of one another. The front frame 40 has two side frames 42 attached at either side. The roof 16 is effectively half a roof. When the first module 12 in the second module 14 are pushed together at the side uprights and 30, the roof 16 of the first module 12 in the roof 16 of the second module 14 likewise comes together to form a unitary roof 16. When the first module 12 in the second module 14 are moved apart, it allows access to the wellhead (not shown). When the modules 12 and 14 are moved adjacent to one another, the two front frames 40 and four side frames 42 and the roof 16 form the cage 10 about the wellhead (not shown).

FIG. 3 illustrates the front frame 40 of one of the modules 12 or 14 of the cage 10. This side view illustrates the flattened top 34 of the roof 16. As described previously the roof 16 is attached to the front top member 36. The front top member 36, corner uprights 18, and front base member 20 border the front frame 40. A grid of the frame is formed by vertical frame members 28 and horizontal frame members 26.

This view also shows how the modules 12 and 14 can move on the track 48. The side runner's 22 engage with the runners 50 of the track 48. In order to allow for the modules 12 and 14 to move along the track 48, is anticipated that there will be a slidable means either incorporated into the side runner 22 or attached to the side runner 22. The slidable means is anticipated to be could be, for example and without limitation, a rail slot 44 or a roller 46. While the rail slot 44 is shown on one side of the front frame 40 and the roller 46 is shown on the other side of the front frame 40 and FIG. 3, this is for illustration purposes only and is anticipated that the slidable means will be the same on both sides of the frame 40 in actual practice.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side frame 42 of one module 12 or 14 of the cage 10. The side frame 42 is bordered by the side top member at the top, the corner upright 18 and side upright 30 on the sides, and the side runner 22 at the bottom. The grid of the frame 42 is made up of horizontal frame members 26 and vertical frame members 28. The roof 16 attaches to the side top member 38 and angles upwardly to the top 34. When placed on the track 48, the side uprights 30 of the the first module 12 and second module 14 are moved adjacent to each other to complete the cage 10 about the wellhead. The modules 12 and 14 may be locked together such that only authorized users can unlock them and move the modules 12 and 14 apart.

FIG. 5 illustrates the track 48. The runners 50 are space such that they are the same width as the side runner's 22 of the cage 10. The runners 50 are parallel to one another. This allows the side runner's 22 to slide, roll, or otherwise move along the track 48. The track 48 is held at the correct position by cross members 52. A track stop 5480 placed at each end of the runners 50 so as to keep the modules 12 and 14 from moving past the ends of the runners 50.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limited sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon the reference to the description of the invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. An apparatus for protecting a well head comprising: a first module comprising a front frame, a side frame, and a roof; a second module comprising a front frame, a side frame, and a roof; a track comprising two runners, said runners being parallel with each other; said first module side frame further comprising a side runner slidably engaged with one of said track runners; said second module side frame further comprising a side runner slidably engaged with the other of said track runners; said first module and said second module capable of sliding together so as to create a cage about said wellhead. 